ESB to give major Shannonbridge premises for ‘community use’

The ESB is to make The Dalton Centre building in Shannonbridge available to Offaly County Council to repurpose for “community use” and “to benefit” the village, it's emerged in new tender documents.

Previously used to house ESB archive material, The Dalton Centre, named after a former Director of ESB Customer Services, is housed in a huge concrete building adjacent to the former West Offaly Power Station site, close to Shannonbridge. It covers 1,200 square metres or in excess of 12,900 square feet of space with a roof height of ten metres or 32 feet.

Originally designed as a peat-blending bunker, it was never actually used for this purpose and has remained idle for many years, the tender notice posted by Shannonbridge Action Group explains. The group is now seeking a consultant to undertake a “research assignment” to “focus on the opportunity presented by The Dalton Centre” as a “resource of significant scale” to play a role in realising the ambition of Shannonbridge, not just to be a “destination of significance” but also to develop new economic activities that could drive growth.

“The building is being made available by the ESB to Offaly County Council for repurposing as community use and to benefit Shannonbridge,” the tender documents published last month confirms. “This enormous structure offers a unique opportunity as it has the scale, size, scope and potential to positively contribute to the community’s long-term sustainability and development, as well as play a key role in realising the community’s ambition for its future economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing.”

Back in July of 2021, a webinar heard that The Dalton Centre had the potential to be developed as a community enterprise centre. The event, entitled 'Land Use, Community & Enterprise' organised by Minister Pippa Hackett was told that The Dalton Centre could be repurposed for community use.

“It could be useful for community start-up schemes,” Donal Phelan from the ESB told the webinar.

The Shannonbridge Development Strategy, published by Shannonbridge Action Group, in the Spring of 2021 also pointed to the potential for a tourism project in the premises, including the possible restoration and relocation of the Bog Rail Tour to the centre.

The successful consultant will be expected to produce a final proposition report for the massive Shannonbridge premises, a financial/commercial statement, visualisation/drawings, an assessment of all regulatory requirements and an action plan for its future.

The closing date for tenders is January 13 and the contract is funded by Offaly County Council.

The budget allocation for the project is €38,000.